Renegade
by NyanNyan-suru
Summary: "Jail changes a man." No truer words have been said for Jak. Gone forever is the fun-loving carefree youth from Sandover; in his place stands a bitter, hate filled man bent on revenge. They call him a monster, and maybe they're right... (Pairings: JxK, DxT, TxA)
1. Last Day of Summer

**A/N**

Yeah, so... this is my attempt at getting out of a huge creative slump... Seriously, I really want to update my other stories, but just can't get the motivation to even start writing them... So I'm gonna try something new! Yep, it's a Jak II Novelisation! I've read a few of these and thought I'd give it a try. It'll pretty much follow the story of the game, thought since it is being written by me, expect a few little twists and extra scenes~ :3 (though it's probably going to be really crappy...)

I plan to have this updated weekly, possibly sooner depending how long each chapter takes me to write. (You're free to yell at me if I miss the deadline, kay?)

**End Notes**

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><p><em>"<em>_For every age there is a time of trail. The rocks faced such a fire before they were the strength beneath our feet. The plants braved vast winds before their roots could give us life. As a sage of considerable years, I have known only one such great ordeal. Yet the Hero it created was a champion for all time!"_ – Samos the Sage.

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><p>Jak stood by the strange Precursor machine, gazing up at the brightly glowing Ring. Keira stood leaning slightly on the other side of the machine, while Daxter lounged lazily on the front. Jak couldn't help but smile in excitement and anticipation as he wondered what adventures were in store for them.<p>

His thoughts were interrupted by Samos's gruff voice, "Today's the big day, Jak. I hope you are prepared… for whatever happens." He finished with a grave undertone, but it went unnoticed by Jak as his attention was caught by Keira.

"I think I've figured out most of this machine." She announced, resting a hand on it. "It interacts somehow with that large Precursor Ring. I just hope we didn't break anything moving it here to the lab." She finished and slid down into her seat.

Jak sat down and scooted over to be closer to the beautiful girl, but then Daxter popped up between them, "Easy for you to say! We did all the heavy lifting!"

Jak scowled half-heartedly at his friend before rolling his eyes as if to say, _and by 'we' you mean 'me'. _But he let it slide; Daxter would be Daxter after all. Keira rolled her eyes too, offering him a smile as Daxter settled himself down to sit between them and reached out to press something.

"Daxter! Don't touch anything!" Samos yelled causing the Ottsel to flinch. "Though the Precursors vanished long ago, the artefacts they left behind can still do great harm." Daxter rolled his eyes and sulked while Jak shook his head slightly in amused exasperation at the elderly Sage's lecture, having heard it about a _million_ times before.

"Or great good! If you figure out how to use them!" Keira interrupted before another long winded speech could begin.

"I've had some experience with such things…" Samos proclaimed proudly as he sat down on Jak's right then turned to him, "I know you can make it work."

He studied the controls for a moment then reached out to touch the large red jewel, hesitating only a second before pressing it. That seemed to do something as the device beside it came to life. "Looks like Jak's still got the mojo!" Daxter exclaimed earning a grin from his friend.

Keira studied the device, "Interesting… It appears to be reading out some pre-set coordinates…"

Suddenly the machine jerked and rumbled, setting off sparks of energy towards the Precursor Ring. The Ring spun free of its supports and hung suspended in the air, its centre a hypnotic swirl of colours. "Wow, look at that!" Daxter breathed in awe.

"Finally!" The terrible voice boomed from within the ring, cutting the joyous moment short, "The last Rift Gate has been opened!" Hundreds of flying bug-like creatures came pouring out of the ring.

"Aaagghh! What are those things!?" Daxter cried in fright, ducking below the seat.

"So… this is how it happened…" Samos whispered, appearing more awed than frightened. Though, no one really paid him any attention since a huge monster reared its ugly head from within the Ring. Daxter screamed again along with Keira, and even Jak – the bravest of them all - felt his blood run cold with fear at the sight of it.

"You cannot hide from me, boy!" It roared and Jak felt another tremor of fear run up his spine. Just what is this thing? And why does it scare him so much? He'd never felt so afraid in his life!

But he didn't have time to think about it when Keira yelled, "Do something Jak!"

Daxter tried to take things into his own hands (or 'paws') by pressing random buttons. "What's this do? O-or that? How 'bout this one? Everybody, press all the buttons!"

Jak slammed his fist down on the red jewel again, hoping it'd do something. The machine suddenly shot forward, pushing the four occupants back into their seats. Keira and Daxter screamed again as they rocketed towards the monster; fortunately the machine flew safely passed it, carrying them into the Ring.

"What was that thing?" Keira demanded, but her question remained unanswered as they plunged onwards into the swirling rift, accelerating at impossible speeds and being rocked every which way.

"Hang on everyone!" Samos yelled, barely able to keep a grip himself.

"YYAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Daxter screamed hysterically, "I WANT OFF THIS THING!"

Unfortunately, he got his wish. The machine broke apart in a sudden explosion throwing everyone off. Keira and Samos were flung away in two different directions, while Jak and Daxter went tumbling off together into a blinding light.

"Find yourself Jak!" Was the last thing he heard from Samos as they disappeared into the light.

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><p>It was a relatively normal day in Haven City. People went missing, random arrests were made and the Metal Head threat lurked ever present in everyone's minds. Yet the people went about their own business with the heads down and shoulders slumped; the clear signs of oppression.<p>

Yet today would not be the same as every other day, and the normality was broken by a bright flash in the sky as a shooting star materialised out of nowhere and plummeted to the earth. People screamed and ran away without a second thought without noticing the two bodies that were thrown from the light, landing with a heavy thud on the metal walkway.

Jak just lay bewildered for a moment, mentally checking himself for injuries. Finding none, other than being a little sore from the landing, he slowly sat up and stared around open mouthed at the strange city around him. The buildings were taller than anything he'd ever seen back home, and everything seemed to be made of metal; no green anywhere in sight!

Yet he felt an odd sense of… something… familiarity or… nostalgia maybe? He honestly couldn't place the feeling; especially since he'd lived his whole life in Sandover. He ran a hand through his green and blonde hair, just to make sure he hadn't hit his head or anything.

His blue eyes trailed down to Daxter who had landed near his feet, still clutching an iron rod but otherwise he looked okay. Both boys picked themselves off the ground and began to fully take in their surroundings. Jak thought he saw what looked like a Zoomer or two flying around, only they looked a bit different and flew higher off the ground than Keira's Zoomer.

A loud clank caught his attention and he looked down to see Daxter had thrown the piece of metal away angrily, "Okay, I swear… That's the last time I ever, EVER, touch any stupid Precursor crap!"

Despite the situation, Jak couldn't help but crack a smile at his friend's antics. Shaking his head in exasperation as Dax went on to swear and complain at the offending piece of metal. He turned his attention back to the question at hand: just where in the Precursors name were they?

The strange feelings of vague familiarity didn't give him any answers. He pondered over these feelings some more, but paused when Dax finally stopped taking out his anger on the broken piece of metal, "So… where the heck are we anyways?"

Jak, unable to explain the strange feeling, just shrugged. He was worried about Keira and Samos too, and wondered if they had maybe landed somewhere nearby. Or even in this city at all... He wanted to go look for them. Daxter understood his mute friend's intentions just from his body language and facial expressions, and prepared to hop up on his shoulder.

He was interrupted by a loud commanding voice, "There he is. Move in." The duo turned to see a group of armored men approaching them. None of them looked remotely friendly.

"Step away from the animal." A masked man commanded, his gun raised threateningly.

"Aaaaggghh!" Daxter screamed in panic and fright, and dashed away between their legs. Jak, however, couldn't get way as easily given the men had him surrounded.

"Forget the rat!" A red-haired man (the only one without a creepy breathing mask) commanded, stopping them from chasing after Daxter, "The Baron wants him." He jabbed his gun at a terribly confused Jak.

Who were these people and what did they want from him?

"We've been waiting for you." The man sneered and before he had a chance to escape he was hit over the head with the butt of one of the men's weapon.

As he fell into unconsciousness he heard Daxter calling out, "Don't worry Jak! I'll save you before you know it!"

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><p>Reviews are always loved, and any tips and friendly advice to help me improve would be much appreciated! XD<p>

-NyanNyan-suru


	2. Better Late Than Never

**A/N**

Tada! Second chapter is up! XD (And ahead of schedule too~) Let's hope I can keep up this pace! Okay, first things first... I'm not going to spend the next dozen or so chapters on Jak's life in prison, because 1) frankly I'm just not that patient, 2) I feel those two years of torture are better left to the reader's imagination. Although, I will give ya a few snippets in the form of flashbacks, m'kay?

**LightJakRises:** Thanks! I'll do my best to make this a good story!

And a shout out to **Methodadrian** for being the first Favouriter and follower! XD

**End Notes**

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><p>The young elf writhed and struggled in vain against his restraints as pain ripped through his entire being. Cries of agony tore past his throat, unable to remain contained any longer. And yet through all the pain and suffering he could not help but wonder just what were they trying to accomplish?<p>

Two years… Two miserable years trapped in this godforsaken place… And he still had no clue.

_"__Dark Eco injection cycle complete; bio-rhythms nominal and unchanged." _An emotionless female voice announced, sounding the end of this round of torture.

_Finally,_ thought Jak as he slumped into the chair ready for the blissful oblivion that unconsciousness would provide until his next 'session'. In his current semi-conscious state, he overheard the conversation of his captors.

"Humph, nothing! I was told this one would be different!" The elf he'd come to know as Baron Praxis growled as he paced around in a rage.

"He is surprisingly resistant to your _experiments_ Baron Praxis." His subordinate (a disgusting little man called Errol) remarked indifferently, "I fear the Dark Warrior Program has failed."

Praxis whirled around, grabbing a fistful of Jak's hair, "You should at least be dead with all the Dark Eco I've pumped into you!" He snarled then let the adolescent's head drop back down heavily.

Neither of the men noticed the way Jak's fists balled and teeth clenched in silent rage. If he just had the strength to move… to break free of this damn chair!

"What now? The Metal Heads are pressing their attacks, and without a new weapon my men can't hold them off forever." Errol urged.

"I will NOT be remembered as the man who lost this city to those vile creatures!" Praxis all but roared in some self-righteous fury, "Move forward with the final plans! And finish off this _thing_ tonight!" He added with a slight gesture to Jak before marching away.

"As you wish, sir." Errol responded almost eagerly. He lingered a few moments longer to thrust his face into Jak's, "I'll be back later, _freak_." He spat and spun around to follow the Baron.

Jak slumped down once more and closed his eyes in exhaustion. _So that's it, huh? All of that pain… the suffering… all those deaths… all for nothing. _He thought bitterly. In a way, he was glad to know it'll all be over soon. He was so tired… so tired of everything…

But just as he began to slip into unconsciousness, his sensitive hearing picked up the sound of a hover lift approaching from bellow. And then he heard a vaguely familiar voice, "Ding, ding. Third floor! Body chains, roach food, torture devices!"

The high pitched male voice made him recall the hazy image of a small orange rodent of some kind, but in his exhausted state he couldn't make sense of the image.

He felt a weight landed on his chest and struggled to open his eyes, "Hey buddy, seen any heroes around here?" The voice continued in a humorous fashion before doing a double take, "Whoa! What'd they do to you!?"

_Good question… I wish I knew._ Jak scoffed inwardly and suddenly felt his anger beginning to spike again.

"Jak it's me, your old pal Daxter!" The voice pleaded with him, and he managed crack his eyes open just long enough to get a glimpse of the creature's fuzzy orange face, "Well that's a fine hello!" The voice continued, though its indignant rambling were only half heard by Jak.

Maybe it was the effect of the Dark Eco, or it might have been something to do with his impending death sentence. Heck, maybe it was just how annoying the creature jumping around on his chest was. Whatever the case, Jak's irritation and anger flared up inside him; boiling into a hate-filled rage.

"I've been crawling around in this dump, risking my tail…" The creature paused, causing him to cringe in pain as it stomped down on his stomach, "Literally, to save you! I've been looking for you for two years!"

_Well, you should've looked harder._ Was Jak's first thought, his rage threatening to boil over.

"Say something! Just this once!" The animal demanded, seizing him by the collar of his prison uniform.

Suddenly he snapped and all his rage and hatred that had festered over the past two years caught up with him. There was only one thought in his mind right now, "I'm gonna kill Praxis!" He roared and immediately felt the animal's hands cover his mouth.

"Shhh! Right now we need to get you outta here." The animal warned and hopped off his chest and onto his arm, "Just give me a minute to figure out how unlock these…"

But Jak couldn't wait any more, the rage made his blood boil and an animalistic fury seemed to fill his very soul. The Dark Eco fizzled beneath his skin, begging to be released and Jak was all too happy to oblige. He roared as energy surged through him, and ripped through his restraints, causing the small animal to yelp and jump off his arm.

"…O-or you could do it…" It stuttered, staring wide-eyed at Jak's new form.

Tan skin turned deathly white, green-blonde hair became an ash-grey and previously blue eyes became pure black. Two long horns had also sprouted on his head, and a set of razor sharp, black, talon-like claws replaced his fingernails. An animalistic growl escaped his throat and he slid off the chair, Dark Eco pulsating around him like electricity.

Then those pure obsidian orbs turned to the creature standing an arm's length away from him. A predatory smirk made its way to his lips, revealing sharp vampire-like canines. Slowly he began advancing on the poor creature.

"J-Jak…?" The animal whimpered slightly and backed away, "E-easy there, buddy. I-it's me, Daxter… your b-best buddy… remember?"

Just as he was preparing to rip his claws into his prey's flesh, he paused. It was only a moment's hesitation, but that was all it took for Jak to regain rational thought. "Daxter?" The word came out a shaky growl, and suddenly he realised what he was doing. The rage receded, though not leaving him entirely, and he was overcome with a wave of dizziness.

He reverted back to normal just as quickly as the transformation had occurred, and was left staring in confusion at his friend, still feeling a little disorientated.

"What the heck was that!?" The ottsel demanded, brushing off the frightening experience with ease, "Sheesh! Remind me not to piss you off!" He muttered with an inaudible sigh of relief, Jak would never hurt him after all. With that thought in mind, he made his way over to a decent sized bundle of clothes, "Come on tall, dark and gruesome, we're outta here."

Jak hesitated for a few moments, the realisation he was being rescued finally sinking in, before Daxter handed him the clothes, "Here, I brought you some new threads. Go ahead and put em on."

He accepted the bundle, flashing the Ottsel a look of gratitude; his dirty, sweat soaked prison outfit wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing to wear. So grateful was he for fresh clothes, that he didn't even care where his friend might have gotten them from.

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><p>A minute later, Jak stood clothed in his new attire; a long-sleeved navy blue tunic, blue fingerless gloves, a red scarf, beige pants, and brown combat boots. The boots felt strange on his feet, mainly since he'd never worn shoes before, preferring to wear sandals or just go barefoot. Still, he wasn't complaining.<p>

He adjusted the silver shoulder plate, unused to the feeling after two years of its absence, and pushed a pair of goggles up on his forehead. All in all, he looked more like someone who was ready to go to war rather than an escaped prisoner. And that suited him just fine.

He flinched as Daxter jumped up onto his shoulder and almost threw him off out of reflex, but managed to catch himself. He shifted uncomfortably under the vaguely familiar weight, forcing himself to relax. If Daxter noticed, he didn't say anything and simply directed him to a nearby vent.

The first half of their escape was fairly quiet; merely a matter of crawling through vents, scaling a wall or two and jumping a few obstacles. Daxter let out a low impressed whistle as Jak leapt up onto a ledge about ten feet off the ground with little to no effort. "Wow, how'd ya do that?"

Jak merely shrugged and kicked down the grate blocking another vent, "I've been stuck in prison for two years, Dax. I've had _a lot_ of spare time."

"So, you've been working out?" Daxter asked nonchalantly, though Jak could detect a hint of guilt in his voice.

"More or less…" He muttered in response.

Jak had always been a restless spirit, never able to stay still for long. When pacing around his small cell lost its appeal he turned to sit ups, then push ups, even going as far as to take apart his metal cot in favour of using it for pull ups. Sleeping on the ground had proven to be more comfortable than the rusty iron strings anyways.

At first it was just a way to pass the time, but as time went on the motivation to train his body became darker… He was like a lion in a cage, sharpening its claws on the stone walls and relishing the day he gets to sink his fangs into the throats of its captors…

Still, it's not like he could scale ten feet high walls or leap twenty foot gaps just from working out a little. No. It was those damn Dark Eco treatments that gave him this almost superhuman strength and dexterity. His previous fatigue had also left him entirely. Although, that could just be due to the adrenaline rush, he couldn't really tell.

Suddenly an alarm started blaring, breaking Jak out of his thoughts, "_Warning! Prisoner escape in progress!"_

"Damn!" He cursed under his breath and bolted, realising he must have tripped a security sensor somewhere.

The guards would be on to him now, and he sure as hell wasn't gonna wait for them to find him. Sure he was strong enough to take on one or two in a fight, but he wasn't very keen on his odds against any more than that. Besides, he was unarmed and fists can only do so much against guns and armour.

At the sound of heavy footsteps up ahead he ground to a halt and dove into the shadows. Sure enough, a patrol of Krimzon Guard came marching around the corner, looking alert and ready for combat. Jak backed further into the shadows, grateful for the cover provided by some large machines. Hopefully, Daxter's panicked breathing wouldn't give them away.

After what seemed like an eternity, the patrol passed them and disappeared from sight. Jak waited until their footsteps faded away, before dashing out from behind his cover and ran like no tomorrow in the opposite direction.

"Man that was a close one, huh?" Daxter laughed nervously, clinging tightly to his shoulder so as not to be thrown off.

Jak merely grunted in response and slowed his pace as he approached another corner, listening carefully for the slightest sound of a threat. Caution proved to be the wiser strategy for it wasn't long before he came across another guard. Fortunately, he was alone, plus he had his back to him.

Slowly, Jak crept forward, careful not to alert the guard to his presence while he figured out the best way to get past him. He quickly came to the conclusion that simply knocking him out would be too big a risk. Without wasting a second, he lunged toward the unsuspecting elf, seized his helmet in both hands and twisted it violently.

A horrible crunching sound split the air and the guard fell limply to the floor. Jak's blue eyes grew ever so slightly colder. It was not his first kill, nor even his second, but it was the first time he had _intentionally_ killed another elf. And yet… he felt fine with it.

"You killed him." Daxter said with a look of blank shock.

"Yes. I did." Jak replied simply and continued on, without so much as a backwards glance at the body lying still of the floor.

An awkward silence descended upon the pair and Jak began to feel a deep sense of self-loathing. He'd changed. He'd lost his childish innocence in this hellhole and become someone else entirely… a cold-blooded killer. And he felt ashamed. What would everyone think of him now? What would Keira think of him…?

His anger flared up again; it was all that psycho, Erol, and the Baron's fault! He clenched his fists, fingernails biting into his palm. His blood boiled with rage and Dark Eco. They were going to pay dearly for what they did to him!

"Okay." Jak's thoughts were abruptly cut off by Daxter's resolute voice. The ottsel had an uncharacteristic look of determination in his eyes. For what, Jak didn't know. But the mood became somewhat lighter, allowing his rage to ebb away.

Though it still remained, simmering beneath the surface…

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><p>The next few guards that happen to cross Jak's path met with the same pitiless end. Most he was able to dispose of quickly and discreetly, others managed to put up a fight before they died. But with his superior strength and speed, there was no winning against him when it came to close range combat.<p>

Jak was relieved they hadn't come across any larger patrols other than that first one, and after dealing with a few more obstacles and guards, he found himself in some kind of drainage system. The warning sirens and flashing red lights were far behind him now.

"There's our way out!" Daxter announced, pointed up at an open window.

Jak couldn't help the small smile of relief that came at the sight of sunlight spilling into the room, and the thought of fresh air. He waded through knee-deep water and climbed up a conveniently placed stack of metal crates. He paused at the top, peering down to check for any guards that might be waiting for them.

Finding no visible threats, he jumped down about twenty feet and landed safely in the street below. The air was full of smog and fumes from factories and sewer lines, but at that moment Jak couldn't have smelled anything sweeter and inhaled deeply.

"We're free, Jak! Thanks to me!" Daxter bragged, "Nice to breathe some fresh air right? Don't worry we'll get that Baron Praxis guy all right!"

"Damn right I will." Jak growled and flexed his fingers, imagining them tearing Praxis's heart right out of his chest. That is to say, if the bastard had a heart at all. Well, he'd find out soon enough. First things first though, he had to put some distance between him and the prison.

Picking a random direction, he started walking. He didn't have a clue where he was going, but right now he couldn't care less.

He stuck to the back alleys, avoiding people like the plague. All the while he kept looking around at the dull buildings, trying to figure out where he was. Daxter meanwhile, rambled on about his great prison break plan. The corner of Jak's mouth twitched upwards slightly as he listened to the ottsel's bragging.

God, how he'd missed this.

Most people would find him crazy for it, but he truly did miss having Daxter rambling on non-stop in his ear. True, it got annoying at times, but he was used to it. They'd always been an odd pair: Daxter who never stopped talking, and Jak who never talked at all. Guess the saying "opposites attract" is true after all…

And despite Jak's new found ability to communicate vocally, he was content to let Dax do most of the talking. At least then there'd be one thing in his life that would remain the same as before…

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><p>I love Daxter, he gets the best lines! (Even though he's purely there for comic relief) yeah, so Dax is gonna have a bigger role being Jak's emotional support.<p>

Remember to drop a review on your way out! XD

-NyanNyan-suru


	3. Changes and Recruitment

**A/N**

Yay for keeping the deadline! XD Actually I could have finished this earlier but got stuck on the fighting scene... I dun know how to write them... T_T Hopefully it's not too crappy... Anyways! Little bit of a look into Daxter's thought's on how Jak has changed and stuff. Slight Bromance I guess. Oh, and the end of this chappie kinda deviates away from the plot a little. :P Tell me, in your honest opinion... What do ya'll think of Jak getting a sword for a weapon?

**LightJakRises:** Thanks for reviewing! XD Well, I've always pictured Jak spending his downtime (what little he gets) either sleeping or training... Though I might add some other stuff in.

**End**

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><p>They hadn't gotten far when something caught Jak's eye. On the other side of the street stood and elderly man dressed in blue robes and a child in denim overalls. Jak didn't know what it was, but something about the old man made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Like some kind of sixth sense, warning him of danger…<p>

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as the man approached them; apparently having noticed he was looking at them, "Hello strangers. My name in Kor. May I help you…"

Jak cut him off, "You look like a reasonably smart man." He growled seizing the old man by the collar, "I want information. Where the hell am I?"

Daxter hopped down from his shoulder, turning to the boy, "Uh, sorry. He's new to the whole 'conversation' thing." Though, the kid seemed more interested in Daxter than Jak anyways.

Jak dropped Kor, hardly feeling remorseful at all. "Well, my angry young friend…" The old man began, brushing off his robes, "You are a _guest_ of his Majesty, Baron Praxis, the ruler of _glorious_ Haven City."

Jak snorted in contempt, "So I was just a 'guest' in the good Baron's prison?"

"Inside a cell, or inside the city, walls surround us all. We are all his prisoners." Kor replied with a shake of his head.

Their conversation was interrupted by the tapping of Krimzon Guard boots on concrete. Jak tensed as a small legion of guards marched into view; they couldn't be onto him already, could they?

"Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Kor muttered, motioning for the boy to follow him as he started walking away, "I'd move on if I were you."

The guards, however, had other plans, "By order of his eminence, Baron Praxis, Grand Protector of Haven City, everyone in this Section is hereby under arrest for suspicion of harbouring underground fugitives. Surrender and DIE!"

Daxter took a few steps towards the guard, "Um, excuse me… But don't you mean surrender OR DIE!?"

"Not in this city…" Kor muttered, and then turned to Jak pleadingly, "Please, you must protect us from these guards!"

One look at the kid clinging fearfully to Kor's leg and Jak was overcome with a strange desire to protect. That desire was further cemented when the guard made to kick Daxter away.

Jak snarled and lunged forward; flinging a punch to the guard's head strong enough to smash his visor in. The remaining guards stood in shock for a moment, clearly not expecting anyone to actually fight back, much less knock one of them out with a single punch! And Jak took full advantage of their hesitation.

The closest guard only had a second to feel Jak's fingers coil around his throat before his windpipe was crushed. As the body fell to the ground the rest of the patrol snapped out of their stupor and rushed him.

One swung his gun at Jak's head, but it was easily dodged and he ended up being hurled into a wall by a powerful kick. Unfortunately for the guard, there happen to be a rusty broken pipe sticking out of the damaged wall, giving him a most unpleasant and painful death. More guards came charging in, drawn by the sounds of fighting.

Jak quickly found himself at a disadvantage against superior numbers. While he grappled with one guard, another struck him from behind. Before he had a chance to retaliate, he was brought to his knees by their stun rods. Pain shot through him and he began seeing red, his rage growing uncontrollable.

With a furious snarl he slashed out, allowing the beast within to take control of his senses. The onlookers watched in a mixture of horror and awe as the monster manifested itself; its black soulless orbs alight with hatred and a bloodthirsty hunger. The guards froze in their tracks, uncertain of how to deal with this deadly creature.

"What the hell is it!?" One cried out in terror. It was the last thing he would ever say.

The beast Jak had become smirked in satisfaction as his long black claws tore through armour like it was made of paper. He cared not for what he was doing or why; all that mattered to him was annihilating any threats to his being. He was a predator and they were prey, simple as that.

The guards began firing in a wild, panicked manner, "Shoot it! Shoot it now!" Most missed completely, though one lucky shot managed to graze his cheek. 'Jak' hissed in irritation and launched himself with impossible speed for someone his size at the shooter, his momentum and weight crushing the poor soul.

By this time there were only about four guards left. They quickly realised winning wasn't an option and attempted to escape with their lives. But the beast wasn't going to let them off so easy.

With a roar, Dark Eco surged around him and shot out from his claws towards his enemies. The victims shrieked in pain as the dark lightning ripped through them and one by one fell dead, before they could even fathom what had just occurred. Barely a minute had passed and the entire patrol, more than two dozen strong, lay dead.

Jak's skin and hair returned to normal, black horns and talons receded, and his eyes returned to their usual blue (although, they now glowed faintly with Dark Eco). He staggered slightly at the sudden change and stared in remote shock at the blood on his hands.

Daxter ran up to him, eyes wide in an odd mixture of terror and admiration, "That was cool! Do it again!"

Jak scowled, slightly annoyed by the ottsel's laidback attitude, "Something's happening to me… Something _he_ did…" He growled in anger, clenching his fists in an attempt to contain the anger that still boiled under his skin, "I-I can't… control it…"

"Most impressive..." The old man murmured.

"Uh, you okay Jak?" Daxter asked, sensing his friend's unease. Jak didn't answer.

"What you just did was very brave," Kor complimented, gesturing to the boy behind him whose eyes were full of fear. "This child is important."

"This kid? He looks kinda scruffy." Daxter poked the kid on his nose. The kid promptly hid his face with his hands.

Jak felt a strange sense of nostalgia as he looked at the kid. Somehow, somewhere, he knew he'd seen this kid before. His thoughts were broken as Kor made to leave, "Thank you for your help, but I must get this boy to safety."

"Hey! What about us?" Daxter demanded, obviously expecting some kind of reward.

"There is an underground movement waging a guerrilla war against that tyrant, Praxis. They are led by an enigmatic figure known as The Shadow. He could use fighters like you on his side." Kor offered.

Jak pondered over his options. True, gathering allies would be to his advantage, but he didn't like the thought of being used… Still, what choice did he have right now? "Where can I find this 'Shadow' person?"

"Look for a dead-end alley in the slums near the city wall. You'll see a painting of the Baron's insignia being broken by a hammer on the wall. Just ask for Torn and tell them Kor sent you. He can help you from there." And with that, the old man hurried away with the kid in toe.

Jak watched him leave before turning to Daxter, "Know where this place is?"

"What, so I'm the tour guide now?" The ottsel flared in mock outrage and Jak just gave him a flat look. Sighing, he hopped up onto his friend's shoulder, ignoring the way the big guy tensed, "Come on, it's this way."

* * *

><p>Several times during the journey to this Underground Base, Jak had entertained the thought of 'borrowing' one of the many zoomers flying around overhead. But in the end, he decided he'd rather walk if only to be able to stretch his legs after being locked away for so long. Plus, it also gave him some time to cool off.<p>

He half-listened to Daxter babbling away about nothing, the tension in his shoulders slowly easing as he got used to the weight. To be honest, he wasn't sure if he was relieved or upset that Daxter hadn't changed one bit in the past two years…

On the one hand, it was nice to have some semblance of normality in his life. And, in a weird kind of way, it was comforting to hear the ottsel's usual wise-cracking banter. But on the other hand, it reminded him of just how much _he'd_ changed…of everything he'd lost… There was a time he'd smile and laugh openly, but now it felt as though he'd forgotten how...

And then there's the question of what exactly those Dark Eco experiments had done to him! It wasn't just enhanced strength, physical abilities and sharpened senses… He had literally transformed into… _something_… What exactly, he still wasn't sure… The worst part was he wasn't even fully aware of what he was doing while in that monstrous form.

Bitterness churned in his gut. Not only was he a killer, he was mindless monster too. The Baron was going to sorely regret ever giving him these powers!

He swallowed thickly, trying to keep his anger from exploding again. Instead, he focused most his attention on the high pitched ramblings of the ottsel perched on his shoulder. If nothing else, it proved to be a good distraction.

Unknown to Jak, however, Daxter was doing his own share of thinking while he chatted away on nothing in particular. He'd just blurt out the first thing that came to mind, like how he'd gotten a job as an exterminator and was a _totally_ famous for it, all the while thinking on just how _broken_ his long-time friend seemed.

Now, Daxter wasn't one for deep thinking or reading between the lines, but even he could see something was very wrong with Jak. It wasn't just the fact he'd been pumped chock full of Dark Eco and it'd done something really freaky to him. Jak wasn't the same adventurous, happy-go-lucky guy he'd befriended all those years ago…

He used to be the kind of guy that wore his heart on his sleeve, but now his face was set into a permanent scowl. His were eyes no longer wide and innocent, but narrowed and guarded. His shoulders were so much broader, his face more shrunken in and he also sported a goatee. Let's not forget the fact he's suddenly capable of speech now.

Jak had really felt those two years; he wasn't a child anymore. And what about Daxter, huh? What had _he_ done these last two years? Nothing, that's what… He'd hardly changed at all; hadn't grown up in the slightest. Hell, it took him two whole freaking years to finally get his act together and rescue his best (and only) friend from that hellhole of a prison!

He could hardly imagine what could possibly have happened in that place to make the strongest guy he knew, become so cold and hateful… If he had spent even half as much time looking for Jak as he'd spent saving his own skin, then maybe he'd have actually been able to spare his friend all that suffering and torture…

Yeah, some hero he was… The truth was blaringly obvious… He's a coward. A useless, pathetic coward…

Well, not anymore. From now on, he's gonna stick with Jak through it all! No matter what happens! Even if it means charging head first in an all-out war against this Baron guy, purely to sate Jak's need for revenge. He owed it to the Big Guy after all…

* * *

><p>The sun was setting by the time Jak arrived at the dead-end alley he assumed would be where this underground resistance was. He barely took a few steps into the alley when a blonde she-elf stepped out in front of him. 'Dumb Blonde' was what he first thought of her, if not for the way her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she regarded him.<p>

"Need something sugar?" She asked, sounding faintly annoyed.

"I'm looking for a guy named Torn." Jak replied bluntly, not in the mood to play games. "Kor sent us." A taller male elf with brown, dread-locked hair stepped out of the shadows. "Are you Torn?" He guessed as the man got right up in his face, glaring harshly at him.

The glare was returned just as fiercely and the two males spent the next few moments silently measuring each other up. Finally Daxter decided to intervene, "Maybe this guy's a mute… like you used to be."

The man grunted in obvious annoyance, "New faces make me nervous. So, I hear that you wanna join the fight for the city…" He circled Jak like a vulture, but Jak kept his eyes trained in him. "You know, picking the wrong side can be… _unhealthy_."

"We wanna see the Shadow." Jak stated defiantly.

The man, Torn, laughed. "Not likely. Why don't you and your _pet_ go join the circus." Daxter glared and opened his mouth, no doubt with a snarky comment in mind, but then Torn drew a curved knife effectively shutting the ottsel up, and putting Jak on edge. "That is, unless you got the fur for a real tough task."

Torn ran a thumb along the edge of the blade as he pondered what kind of mission he'd give these newbies. Dead Town came to mind immediately. He'd sent many young fools off to fetch the flag, but none of them had succeeded yet. Most ran home to their mommies at the mere mention of the so called 'haunted' ruins. Others didn't get the chance.

Haunted or not, Dead Town was dangerous and the perfect place to test out this rookie Kor had vouched for. He seemed pretty arrogant, and Torn didn't have the patience to deal with any thrill seeking youths; they were fighting for their lives here! "Steal the Baron's banner atop the Ruined Tower in Dead Town and bring it back to me. Then, maybe we'll talk."

"Fine." Jak responded curtly and stomped away. He and Daxter shared a look, which resulted in the ottsel sighing and pointing out the way to Dead Town.

It left both Torn and Tess in mild surprise; neither had seen anyone agree so readily to one of Torn's infamous 'initiation missions'. The kid was either really cocky or just plain ignorant. Torn sheathed his dagger, "Tess, keep look out. I'm going to Dead Town."

"Go easy on him Tiger." Tess teased with a smirk. To which Torn rolled his eyes at.

* * *

><p>"I see why they call this place 'Dead Town'." Jak murmured with a grimace at the sight before him. Crumbled and decaying buildings half stood, half sunk into a toxic-looking sludge. Fortunately there was still enough dry ground for him to walk on. He didn't fancy wading through that stuff…<p>

"You know..." Daxter began, glancing around nervously, "They say this place is haunted."

Jak scoffed, was that why this Torn guy sent him on this silly little 'capture the flag' mission? Did he take him for some superstitious idiot? "A few ghosts aren't going to scare me." He muttered in irritation.

As he made his way towards the huge, half destroyed tower, Jak suddenly felt an odd tingling sensation in his gut. He paused, scanning the ruined area around them; a small pile of rubble that caught his eye. He took a step towards it subconsciously, but then realised what he was doing and turned away.

It was just another pile of dirt and rocks anyways. And he had enough to do just getting that stupid flag for that Torn guy.

They ran into some of the local wildlife, which to anyone else, may have proved to be a bit of a challenge. But these creatures were hardly worth Jak's time and were taken out easily. Whether it was because they realised Jak was not an opponent they could take on, or simply the smell of death in the air, either way they didn't bother Jak anymore.

Climbing the Tower proved relatively easy, even when some ledges began crumbling beneath his feet. The first time it happened was at the base of the tower when the bridge collapsed. A normal person would have fallen, but Jak was able to make the leap across the gap. Once again he was saved by these freakish new abilities.

It disgusted him how much he was coming to rely on these dark abilities. They made him less of a man, and more of a monster. Or maybe he already was a monster, if that thing he'd turned into not too long ago was any indication…

Supressing an angered growl, he made his way to the top of the tower; which, he supposed, was probably a little more 'ruined' than before. Upon finding the banner, he allowed himself a small moment of triumph as he yanked it from the stone. The moment was cut short when the ledge they were standing on promptly fell apart.

Despite his enhanced reflexes, Jak couldn't stop from falling. Luckily for them though, there was an awning situated below, that catapulted them straight back up into the air (Daxter screaming all the while). Jak managed to land on an old support cable and slide down it, using the flagpole for balance.

Daxter managed to land on the cable… but crotch first. He barely had enough time to groan before he was flung into the air again.

Jak slid right down to the end of the cable and jumped off to a solid piece of land, planting the flagpole in front of him. Daxter landed a few seconds later, in a much less graceful manner. Torn just so happened to be standing right there and even he had to admit they'd done a good job.

A loud rumbling sound caused the trio to turn just in time to see the remains of the tower crumbling into nothing more than a heap of stone. The hardened commander couldn't stop his jaw from dropping, "Yeah… I guess you guys are in."

"It was nothin'." Daxter boasted, after he picked himself off the ground apparently having forgotten his little screaming episode. Jak simply smirked.

Torn snorted and took the flag from him, "I'm heading back to the Hideout, meet me there and we'll see about setting you to work."

Jak watched the resistance leader climb up over a crumbling wall, and then made his own way back to the city. Taking it a little more slowly, not wanting a repeat of what just happened. He let his thoughts wander to everything that'd happened today… He escaped prison, killed an entire platoon of KG, and joined an underground movement.

It _has_ been a long day. Still he wasn't quite ready to rest just yet. Perhaps after being locked up so long he was just restless.

It was as they neared the city entrance that Jak felt that weird tingling sensation again. Turning around he eyed the piles of rubble again, this time he thought he saw something shiny amongst the rocks. Curiosity driving him forward he picked his way across the toxic swamp.

"Er, Jak? The City is back there… Jak? Hello…?" Choosing to ignore Daxter's protests, he crouched down and started digging through the rubble.

* * *

><p>Kinda random, but am I the only one who thinks the JakxAshelin pairing makes no sense? I mean, she obviously has a thing for Torn, and he obviously really likes her (enough to betray the underground for), and at the end of Jak2 they obviously had a thing together, but in Jak3 they just didn't anymore and everybody was okay with it... I mean, WTF man!? Clearly, somebody didn't really think that through... Also, Keira only had like 4 lines in Jak3... and most her scenes could've gone so much better... that's why I'm gonna rewrite them, hopefully better. (Yes this is a JakxKeira, purely because that pairing makes more sense to me.)<p>

Okay ranting is done now... Please review! It inspires me to write more! XD

-NyanNyan-suru


	4. First Mission

**A/N**

I'm so sorry for taking so long... Ugh, completely missed the deadline T_T This other story just popped into my head and just wouldn't go away so it was hard to concentrate on this... plus my grandma came to stay and some other stuff happened... Hopefully I can make two updates this week to make up for it... hopefully...

**LightJakRises:** Yeah, I'm not actually going for humour here (although, there will be some courtesy of Daxter). And I think I have a rather sardonic sense of humour, so expect things like irony, sarcasm and the general failure of common sense. I peg Jak as being about 18-19 so not really into the whole awkward puberty stage... Though I do picture him being very awkward around kids~ (expect several fanboys/fangirls to make an appearance!)

**Katpet:** Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're liking it so far! XD

A big thank you to everyone who followed and favourited! I love you all! XD

**End**

* * *

><p>Roughly twenty minutes later, Jak finally uncovered the object of his search. Still half buried beneath the rubble was, unmistakably, a sword. Blinking in mild surprise, he reached down and pulled it out of the debris.<p>

It was long and not very broad, the scabbard was blood red, and the hilt and grip were black. The hilt was an ornate design of a sinister looking demon or ogre, with two small jewels for eyes. While he wasn't exactly an expert on the subject, he did recognise it as being a Katana of some kind. It also seemed pretty old, though still in good condition.

After a moment's hesitance, he tried to pull the blade free of its scabbard. Key word: 'tried'. It was stuck fast, probably by some kind of locking mechanism. He growled in frustration, what good is a sword that can't even be used?

"Maybe it's broken?" Daxter piped up (having miraculously kept his mouth shut the whole time).

Jak just grunted and rolled his eyes, before turning his attention back to the sword. Or more specifically, the ornate design on the hilt. Something about it seemed off… but he couldn't figure out why. He ran a thumb along it, only to suddenly feel a sharp pain and retract the hand.

Briefly, he examined the small cut on his thumb, more interested in what caused the cut, than the actual wound. A thick drop of blood oozed from the cut. It was much darker than normal blood, not to mention the way it glowed faintly with Dark Eco. Jak grimaced slightly as the wound began to close rapidly, until it all but disappeared.

"Whoa! Okay… that's kinda freaky…" Daxter gulped nervously.

Jak snorted disgustedly in response and muttered bitterly under his breath, "And everything else that's happened with me lately wasn't _freaky_?"

"Er, um… well, freaky but useful… right?" Daxter quickly added in an uncertain tone.

"Oh yeah… it's been _plenty_ useful." Jak hissed angrily as memories of his imprisonment resurfaced. The torture, the experiments, all of it made worse after the discovery of his new _healing_ abilities.

To be honest it hurt just as much, if not more, when his wounds healed as it did when he actually received them! Something about his cells being forced to regenerate too quickly which put stress on his body… At least that's what he got from all that scientific mumbo-jumbo they kept spouting off back in the prison.

Since both boys were too focused on Jak's cut (and their own thoughts), neither of them noticed the small amount of blood that had dripped onto the sword's hilt. Nor did they notice the way the demon's 'eyes' glowed as the Eco infused blood was absorb. It wasn't until the clasps flicked open with an audible click that the two noticed a change in the sword.

Daxter was the first to react, "Waah! It's possessed! Get it away! Get it away!" He shouted dramatically, causing Jak to roll his eyes.

Carefully, he slid the blade out of its sheath and found his breath leave his lungs. It was beautiful! The weak starlight seemed to gather along the silver blade and he could clearly see his reflection along its surface. Despite its age, the edge still looked impossibly sharp, as if it could cut through solid rock. Along the blade's length were a set of Precursor runes, etched in black.

For once, he was grateful for the many painstaking hours Samos had spent pounding knowledge on the Precursors into his head. Even after two years, he could still remember enough to read the inscription. Daxter, however, well… he was never one to pay attention to the elderly sage's lectures, "What does it say?"

"_Ashura*_…" Jak read aloud. "I guess it must be the swords name..."

"Ah-shoe-rah…" Daxter drawled out, making a face. "Uh-huh… And what does that say?" He asked pointing to the symbol at the base of the blade.

Jak stared at it for a few moments, "It doesn't 'say' anything. It's the symbol of Muramasa**, a legendary swordsmith. You know, it's like how Ke-Keira used to signature her work." He winced inwardly, cursing the way he stumbled over her name.

Thankfully, the ottsel didn't bring any attention to his little slip up, "How'd ya know that?"

"My Uncle told me." He replied with a smirk, earning an understanding nod from Daxter. Though, it did surprise him how he'd been able to remember those stories after so long. "The guy was said to have created powerful swords, but they were supposedly cursed, bloodthirsty, evil blades. Legend say some even drove their masters into suicide."

Daxter gulped and eyeballed the sword, Ashura, nervously. "…Creepy… Let's ditch it!"

Jak rolled his eyes again and regarded the sword once more. He adjusted his grip, getting a feel for the blade. Though he'd never handled a sword before, somehow it just felt so _natural_ in his hands. He gave it a few experimental swings; admiring the way it sliced ever so cleanly through the air.

A sword fit for a demon… right now that suited him pretty well. Although, he had to admit… it gave him an eerie feeling… almost as though he could feel it longing for blood…

Shaking his head, he slipped it back into its scabbard; the clasps locking back into place as he did so. On a whim, he flipped it upside down and as he had suspected the locking mechanism kept the blade from falling free of its sheath. His decision made, he strapped it to his back, with the hilt pointing downwards.

Once it was secure he drew the blade once again; the locks automatically opening for him. Daxter continued to mutter how spooky the whole thing was (which, admittedly, it was), but Jak just ignored him and sheathed the sword. He had a weapon now, albeit an old fashioned one, but a weapon nonetheless. And it made him feel ever so slightly more secure.

Plus, the thought of using this demonic blade to slit Praxis's throat was quite _enticing_…

* * *

><p>Less than an hour later, Jak sauntered into the Underground Headquarters. Daxter was slumped sleepily over his shoulder, but Jak was still wide awake.<p>

Things were relatively quiet here, but then again, it was the middle of the night. Torn, like Jak, was very much awake. He was in a room across from where Jak stood, pouring over a pile of maps and scattered documents, while issuing orders to a small group of Underground fighters gathered around him. Jak assumed it was some kind of office or briefing room.

He hadn't really thought about it before, but those tattoos the resistance leader was sporting were very similar, though not entirely identical, to the ones worn by the KG. The thought made Jak narrow his eyes in suspicion.

Torn sent his men off to perform whatever task he'd given them and turned his attention to the glowering teen (and his obnoxious orange rat) that was the underground's newest recruit. The kid may have passed the initiation with flying colours… but that didn't mean Torn had to_ like_ him… or his rat.

Said rat seemed to have regained enough energy to hop off his companion's shoulder and stroll self-importantly over to one of the taps, "Phew! Being a _big hero_ sure makes ya thirsty."

Torn didn't even bother to hide his amused smirk as the rodent got a mouthful of mud and rust instead of water. "The Baron cut off the water to the slums." He informed them, his expression morphing into an angered scowl. "He's willing to sacrifice innocent lives just to destroy the Underground."

He then paused and added with a sour laugh, "I shouldn't be surprised. I've seen his evil firsthand while serving in the Krimzon Guard. That's why I quit."

"You were a Krimzon Guard!?" Jak exclaimed, finding it hard to believe this stubborn hardened man ever being one of Praxis's lackeys. Then as an afterthought he added, "Oh… That explains your 'charming' sense of humour."

Torn glared, but otherwise ignored Jak's comment, "My friend in the Guard tells me the valve to turn the water back on is located outside the city, at the Pumping Station."

"Outside the city? What about the security walls?" Jak asked in a serious tone.

"What about the Metal Heads?" Daxter piped up, having finished gagging at the horrid taste in his mouth. "It ain't no petting zoo out there! Peeps be getting deep sixed!"

Metal Heads… Jak had heard of them, but he didn't actually know what they were. Only that Haven City was at war with them and basically they were bad news.

Torn went on, pretending Daxter had never spoken at all, "Go to the Water Slums and find a large drain pipe. It'll take you outside the city to the Pumping Station. Get to the main valve and open it. If you survive, the slums will be indebted to you. If not… maybe we'll have a touching moment in your honour."

"I'd like to give him a 'touching moment'." Daxter grumbling under his breathe, drawing a small smirk from Jak.

He studied one of the maps on the table for a few moments longer, trying to memorise the route to the Water Slums. Satisfied, he headed out, feeling Torn's distrustful stare on his back as he went. Clearly he needed to prove himself some more for this guy to trust him.

Not that it really mattered to him. The Underground was just a means to an end after all… his ticket to get to the Baron. He didn't really need or want their trust. Though, there was that little voice in the back of his mind telling him otherwise.

He pushed the annoying thought away.

* * *

><p>Walking all the way to the Pumping Station did not appeal to Jak in the slightest. So he 'borrowed' a conveniently parked zoomer and sped off without a second thought. It worked pretty much the same as Keira's A-Grav Zoomer, although, he wasn't entirely sure what some of the buttons did.<p>

He figured as long as he could go, stop and turn, then it didn't really matter.

Driving the Zoomer made him think of Keira... What happened to her when she went through the rift? Where did she end up? Was she okay?

As if on cue Daxter suddenly said, "I'm surprised you haven't asked me about Keira and Old Green Stuff yet."

Jak was so surprised by the ottsel's insight that he nearly crashed straight into a wall (and also happened to discover the button that allowed him to switch hover zones). Mentally scolding himself, he quickly righted the zoomer and continued on to the Water slums, dodging traffic as he went.

To be completely honest, it wasn't that he hadn't thought to ask, it was just the he was, well, _afraid_ to ask. Not just because he didn't want to hear that anything bad had happened to them, but also because he was afraid of what they'd think of him now. What would Samos say about his new dark powers? What Keira think of him now that he was a murderer?

_Disappointment_ was all he could think of…

Daxter was either oblivious of his inner torment or read his expression differently, "Sorry. I had a hard enough time just lookin' for you. 'Sides, this place is huge and it ain't exactly ottsel friendly…"

"It's okay Dax. You did what you could…" Jak replied quietly, keeping his gaze fixed ahead.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence.

Daxter was thoroughly grateful when the old drainage pipe Torn mentioned came into view. However, he was not so grateful when he realised Jak had no intention of slowing down… At the last second, Jak swerved sideways and leapt off onto the rickety wooden walkway, leaving the zoomer to spin out of control and crash.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" The ottsel yelled directly into Jak's ear, still keeping a death grip on his shoulder.

Jak winced at the volume, his ear ringing. "Come on Dax, we're fine." He said with a smirk and headed out through the pipe to the Pumping Station. Daxter kept grumbling under his breath.

* * *

><p>Eerie yellow lights glowed dimly in the dark moonless night. But thanks to Jak's Eco enhanced vision, he could clearly see the creatures skulking in the shadows. They walked on all fours, all bore some kind of armour, long claws scraping along the sand, fangs dripping with slim, and each had glowing gems on their foreheads.<p>

Jak felt it safe to assume these things were the so called 'Metals Heads'. Apparently these ones were called 'Swipers' and, according to Daxter, were among the weaker Metal Heads, though still very dangerous.

Well, he was dangerous too… More so now that he had a weapon.

He reached back and drew Ashura from its sheath; the blade appeared to gleam almost hungrily. The Metal Heads immediately took notice of him and charged, snarling and shrieking their battle cries.

The first swiper lunged for him, claws outstretched. Its feral cries turned into a guttural choke as Ashura sliced cleanly through its belly. Another one sprung at him, roaring in rage at the death of its brethren, only to have its arm cut off. As it recoiled in pain, Jak kicked it in the head, sending it flying back into a stone wall with a sickening thud.

The last Metal Head seemed a tad smarter than its comrades, choosing to attack Jak from behind as he finished the other one off. It did not, however, count on the fuzzy orange rodent on its prey's shoulder warning his partner, "Jak behind you!"

Jak spun around just a second to late and felt claws scraping his forearm as he drove Ashura through the swiper's throat. Gritting his teeth, he twisted the blade violently. The Metal Head gave one last spluttering shriek before falling limp at Jak's feet.

Dark Eco oozed from the corpse but instead of backing away like a sensible person would, Jak remained where he was. He watched in mild fascination, and slight disgust, as the Dark Eco globs were drawn to him like a magnet and absorbed into his skin. The burning sting of pain was only moderately uncomfortable compared to the Baron's Dark Eco treatments.

It seemed to feed the beast within; fuelling his hatred, his bloodthirsty rage, and his lust for revenge.

Pushing away his dark thoughts, he turned his attention to demon blade in his hand. He'd never handled a sword before, but for some reason wielding Ashura had just felt so _natural_. It was odd and, admittedly, a little creepy, but he wasn't complaining. The way he'd cut down those Metal Heads with ease brought a smirk to his lips.

He wiped the slimy Metal Head blood from the blade and slid it back into its scabbard. It was just a little bit awkward with the way it was strapped to his back, and he made a mental note to get a proper holder or belt for Ashura later.

"How's your arm?" Daxter asked having finally decided it was safe enough to speak.

Jak eyed his wounded arm; the flesh turned a violent red as it began sewing itself back together. He could ignore the dull ache from smaller wounds, but the larger ones burned like hell. Not to mention they tended to scar horribly. A pained growl rumbled in his throat, but he tried his best to appear strong. "It's fine…" He muttered.

For once Daxter would not be fooled. "That's fine like I'm a Precursor." He shot back with a stern look then jumped down to the sandy ground. "I think I saw some of them KG crates they got stashed around back there. We might find some Green Eco in 'em."

Unfortunately, the ottsel scampered off without seeing his friend cringe, leaving Jak to follow him reluctantly.

By the time he'd caught up, Daxter had already pried open the lock on a KG crate that was half buried in the sand. "Jackpot!" He exclaimed holding out a green canister, "And there's some ammo in here too! That means Red and Yellow Eco! Oh yeah, those beasties don't stand a chance against us now!"

"…Umm…" Jak started hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" Daxter asked in confusion.

"I-I can't Channel anymore… not like I used to…" Jak confessed clenching his fists. "It's gotta be something to do with the Dark Eco…"

Daxter was silent as the information sunk in. He'd been counting on Jak's advanced Channelling abilities to get them through most of the bad stuff, just like when they stopped Gol and Maia. Now it seemed they'd be forced to rely on these new dark powers to get them out of a pinch. But Dark Eco was still dangerous and unpredictable…

Who knows what it'd do to Jak in the long run…

The biting pain in his arm prevented Jak from dwelling on his loss of Channelling powers. He took the canister from Daxter and applied the Eco inside to his wound. While he could no longer absorb and channel it into healing his wounds, he could still use it to ease the pain. A bitter laugh escaped his lips at the thought of using Green Eco as a painkiller.

Already the pain was beginning to numb, and the angry red colour was fading as the wound grew smaller. Having some of these Eco packs would be useful, especially during a fight. He turned the thought over in his mind, before liberating the crate of its supplies. Who knows, he might find a use for them later.

Daxter had snapped out of his stupor by now and hopped back onto Jak's shoulder. "Let's hurry up and find that stupid valve for the Tattooed Wonder so we can go get some sleep already!"

Smirking a little at the nickname, Jak headed back up the beach towards the pipes. He figured if he followed them, it'd eventually lead him back to the main valve. But as he was passing the Metal Head corpses his eyes were drawn to the glowing gems on their foreheads. One had fallen loose near his feet and he picked it up, tentatively examining it.

He had a strange feeling they were important somehow… Deciding it best not to ignore his instincts which had been right so far) he pocketed to gem and moved on.

* * *

><p>The sky was beginning to lighten slightly by the time they had reached the main valve. The journey had been laughably easy. Ashura cut through any threat that came their way, sometimes he didn't even need to draw his sword. The trickiest part was navigating his way over a series of metal ramps, pipes and turbines that weaved around the island-like landscape.<p>

Tired and relieved to finally reach their destination, Daxter jumped down from Jak's shoulder, "Ah, the Valve. Allow me."

He gripped one side of the valve with both paws and pulled as hard as he could. It didn't budge. He tried gripping both sides and turning. Still it wouldn't move. He wrapped his arms and legs around it, bracing his tail on the ground and tried again, teeth gritted in strain. Jak rolled his eyes and hit the valve with an impatient fist.

Unfortunately this sent the valve spinning with Daxter still attached to it, and then he was sucked up into the pipe above. Jak stared in shock for a second before racing back down to the beach, following the sounds of Daxter's screaming. He paused when the screaming stopped, and for a minute he feared he'd gone the wrong way.

"Dax?"

"…Help!" His sensitive ear could just pick up the ottsel's muffled voice, "Jak… HELP!" It was coming from the end of a pipe near where he first encountered the Metal Heads. "…Jak…please…help…" Seeing no other option, he turned the valve attached to it, hoping the water pressure would be enough to get the ottsel unstuck.

Slowly, Daxter's head squeezed out of the pipe. Then came his upper body and arms, which he used to try and help push himself out. Finally the pressure built up too much and he was shot out of the pipe with a spray of water behind him. He landed soaking wet in the sand.

Jak crouched down beside him, unable to stop smiling at his friend's predicament, "Don't say it…" Daxter held up a finger before Jak could even open his mouth, "Don't even chuckle! Next time YOU turn the valve!" Then he promptly passed out.

Jak chuckled picked up the battered bundle of orange fur, and headed back to the city.

Rain had started falling when he trekked through the Water Slums. Scowling in annoyance, he ducked under a roof only to find it was full of holes anyway. Just as he was about to give up and chance the rain, he felt a strange stirring in his mind. Like someone was calling him.

On instinct, he followed the summons to an old rundown shack standing alone in the corner. The door opened for him automatically. Daxter had recovered enough by now to sit back up on his usual perch, "Hey! It's one of those goober-eyed Precursor Oracle thingies!"

Indeed there it was, standing solemnly among a throng of candles. It was much larger and ancient looking than the ones he'd encountered in his youth. Jak couldn't help but feel this was what had summoned him.

Suddenly the eyes lit up a vibrant, yet unnatural, blue almost as though to answer him. "_Greetings Great Warrior." _A voice, deep and wise, rumbled and Jak realised with a jolt it was speaking in his mind. _"I sense there is a dark rage burning within you and in time it will destroy you with its madness."_

"Great. And how do I stop it?" Jak asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm and annoyance.

"_Only the last power of the Precursors can save you."_ The Oracle responded.

"Well a fat lot a good that'll be! There are no more Precursors!" Daxter spoke up, "Zippo, nada, all gone, bye bye!"

The Oracle was unfazed by Daxter complete lack of respect, "_Not all hope is lost._ _I can teach you to control these dark powers, but you must first prove your worth."_

Jak narrowed his eyes, "How?"

_"__Destroy my enemies, the creatures you call 'Metal Heads'. Bring me their Skull Gems as proof or your victories."_

"How will I know—" Jak began, but the light in the Oracle's eyes left and the Precursor presence faded away. "Figures…" He muttered and turned away.

Suddenly he felt incredibly sluggish and tired, the weight of the entire days' worth of work crashing down on him. Daxter had fallen silent again, no longer having the energy to talk or even stand. He slumped carelessly over Jak's shoulder as he trekked back through the rain to the Underground Headquarters.

He didn't even make a sound as Jak jumped up and stole a zoomer flying slowly overhead, tossing the startled driver aside without a care. Though, from the corner of his eye, he could see the ottsel giving him a disapproving look. He just ignored it.

This was the type of person he was now and everyone would just have to get used to it.

* * *

><p>Tada? I hope the fight scene wasn't too crappy... There was a lot of stuff I wanted to put in here, but couldn't really fit it all... I'm probably gonna skip several of the missions and add in some extra stuff here and there.<p>

*Either Asura or Ashura... I chose the latter here. From my understanding they're like Anti-gods that constantly fight Devas or something along those lines.

**Muramasa was an actual person and a legit Japanese Swordsmith. There's lots of legends about how his swords were said to be evil and stuff and I thought it fit here~

Reviews are always loved! XD

-NyanNyan-suru


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